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Initial planning for Vancouver and Tofino in September

I am starting to plan for our trip to Canada in September. It's quite a bit cheaper for us to fly into Seattle than Vancouver. I've looked at several different possibilities and this is the best, although I dislike having to backtrack…since I do, I'm looking for the most interesting way to do it.

Please provide feedback and any suggestions you might have for how I might need to change this. We have a total of 12 days and nights. Leave early on September 3rd to fly to Seattle. Take the late train to Vancouver. Spend 5 nights in Vancouver.

Take a seaplane to Tofino (is this the best way to travel or should we rent a car?). Spend 2-3 days in the area.

This is what I haven't really figured out. Should we go to Victoria and spend the night? If so, how to get there? If we rent a car in Tofino and drop off in Victoria, would there be a drop off fee like in the states? Is there a way to get from Tofino to Seattle? Ideally, we would like to spend 2-3 days in Seattle before leaving the area.

Should I somehow flip the trip and spend the first few days in Seattle and then go to Vancouver?

A few thoughts-take a day from Vancouver and spend it on WCVI-nature is better than any city.

Take a bus Vancouver to Nanaimo rent a car there and use it to travel to WCVI & then Victoria then take the Clipper back to Seattle-you'll pay to drop off in Victoria but not nearly as much as other options.

ferry costs with a vehicle are high but if you can afford it and like driving, i'd consider...
rent a car in seattle and take the ferry to victoria. spend two nights. take a full day to drive to tofino, visiting Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park / parksville and cathedral grove along the way. then take the ferry from nanaimo back to the mainland and spend the remaining nights in vancouver and drive back to seattle.